In horse racing there is a very accurate phrase.  It states that “Pace Make The Race.”  While it was fun, and actually gratifying watching our guys get up in the Royals, and play at their pace, and matching them point to point late in the second quarter when we were tied up at 26s, it also had the feel that speed and intensity that we were playing at could not be sustained against the more athletic Royals.  

Were we to play them again, or were they district opponents we would probably sit off of them and play at a more controlled pace, but in preparing for NCC on Friday and Scott next Tuesday, turning up the heat against a more athletic foe is probably beneficial to our outlook for our immediate future.  Each game is not a life or death ordeal. and like in horse racing you are sometimes preparing your horse for a race farther down the road.  Hopefully our Ryle and Mason County experience will raise our level of play for the remainder of the regular season and on into the post-season.

As feared our early efforts took their toll on us and Mason Cunty ruled the second half, as we tended to turn the ball over, which resulted in Royal scores, and our shots were increasingly off of their marks.  We get a rare day in the practice gym on Tuesday and will be back in action on Wednesday for Senior Night, against a first-time opponent – Heritage Academy.  It is hoped that our recent experiences will put the Heritage ball on the wall, and set us up nicely for a date with NCC on Friday.